Biden asks Congress to loosen immigration restrictions on Russian STEM workers

Highly educated Russians may find the immigration process streamlined if President Biden’s request for an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act is approved by Congress. The Amendment would allow some Russians to bypass the requirement of acquiring American employer sponsors and go to directly applying for a visa. Russians might qualify if he/she has a Masters or Doctorate degree in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math. The goal is to permanently acquire talented Russian STEM workers and reduce Russia’s ability to innovate and excel in the STEM areas, thereby enhancing the US work force and strengthening US security. The request is not without precedence. The Soviet Scientists Immigration Act of 1992 allowed a similar process that resulted in about 450 Soviet scientists emigrating to the US. The expectation is for a much higher number this time around. The amendment is written to expire four years after enactment.